Top 5 Everyday Foods That Can Upset Your Stomach: Tips To Take Care

An upset stomach is caused when the mucosal cells in the lining of the stomach are irritated or inflamed. In order to avoid an upset stomach you should start eating four to five smaller meals instead of two or three heavy meals, and limit foods that may trigger upset stomach.

In order to avoid an upset stomach you should start eating four to five smaller meals

Highlights

We all get an upset stomach from time to time

One food group that can be really difficult to digest is dairy

Eating a lot of high-fiber foods regularly can cause gas and indigestion

We all get an upset stomach from time to time. Some common symptoms include nausea, bloating, indigestion, overeating, constipation, pain or a burning feeling in the upper abdomen, vomiting and diarrhea and eventually discomfort. An upset stomach is caused when the mucosal cells in the lining of the stomach are irritated or inflamed. In order to avoid upset stomach you should start eating four to five smaller meals instead of two or three heavy meals, and limit foods that may trigger an upset stomach including spicy foods, high acid foods like tomatoes and oranges, spicy foods and caffeine. Indigestion can be miserable, so you want to clear up your digestive problems soon. The first step that you can take is start with right food choices, and avoids foods which are hard to digest.

Some foods that can give you upset stomach are:

1. Milk and dairy products: One food group that can be really difficult to digest is dairy; primarily because of lactose, the sugar found in milk and other dairy products. When lactose is not digested properly, such as in people with lactose intolerance, it results to gas and bloating. If you consume too much lactose, it goes into the large intestine, and causes an upset stomach. If you are dealing with digestive problems, you can still eat yogurt and hard cheeses because they have no lactose, or you can even try lactose-free milk.

One food group that can be really difficult to digest is dairy.Photo Credit: iStock

2. Citrus fruits: Although citrus fruits like lemons, oranges and grapefruits offer numerous health benefits, when you want to settle an upset stomach, it is probably the best option to avoid citrus fruits. They contain a lot of acid and may cause acid reflux.

3. Avocados: Though a rich source of dietary fiber, avocados should be avoided if you have an upset stomach. A part of the plant foods passes through your system without being digested. Fiber is beneficial for digestion because it aids the movement of waste and prevents constipation. As excess of everything is bad, if you eat too much fiber at once, you could experience diarrhea. In order to avoid an stomach upset, you should stick to a single serving of avocado at one sitting.

Though a rich source of dietary fiber, avocados can cause an upset stomach.Photo Credit: iStock

4. Spicy foods: Hot peppers, including jalapenos, habaneros and ghost peppers, make your dishes delicious and many people enjoy eating them plain. While this vegetable has its own nutritional benefits, hot peppers might be bad for your stomach. Spicy foods like chili peppers and cayenne peppers cause a burning sensation in your mouth because of the chemical compounds they contain. Your body does not break down these compounds during digestion, and they can cause irritation to the lining in your stomach and intestines. As a result, food sometimes moves quickly through your digestive tract, resulting in diarrhea.

5. Whole grains: While fiber actually has numerous benefits for the digestive system, increasing your fiber intake or eating a lot of high-fiber foods on regular basis can cause gas and indigestion. Whole grains and whole-grain products have high amounts of dietary fiber, and the excess consumption of these foods can lead to digestion problems.

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